Chino Hills — Zoning

Last reviewed: July 1, 2026

Overview

Chino Hills regulates land use through the Chino Hills Development Code (Title 16). The Code establishes specific zone districts and overlay districts, adopts a City Zoning Map by reference, and attaches numerical development standards (tables and exhibits) to many districts. The zoning map is adopted as part of the Development Code and boundary uncertainties, map amendments, and zone-change procedures are governed by specific code sections. See the city's general zoning & planning overview for context. Key authorities include § 16.02.010, § 16.04.010, and § 16.04.020 .

Below is a Chino Hills–specific guide to what the Code actually says about each zoning district (purpose, typical permitted uses, numeric development controls where the Code provides them, and where that district typically applies). Every factual requirement below is grounded in the City code citations shown.

Note on reading the code: many numeric standards are contained in tables and exhibits referenced from chapter sections (for example the Residential TABLE 20‑1 exhibits are incorporated by § 16.10.030) — when I cite a numeric standard below I also point to the controlling section that incorporates the table/exhibit. See § 16.10.030 and its Exhibits for the full Residential tables .

How districts are declared and the map

• The list of districts and overlay districts is established in § 16.04.010 (the Code's table of districts and abbreviations) .
• The City adopts a legal Zoning Map by reference; the Zoning Map dated November 14, 1995 (as amended) is adopted and on file with the City Clerk per § 16.04.020 .
• If map boundaries are uncertain the measurement rules in § 16.04.030 control (e.g., boundaries that follow lot lines, rights-of-way, or extend to centerline) .

District-by-district (selected districts; each entry cites the controlling code)

Note: every district name below is shown in bold to aid scanning (the Code contains many more tract-specific PD/R‑S variants and exhibits — see the specific table/exhibit cited).

Residential districts (general)

• Where codified: § 16.10.030 (Table 20‑1 and Exhibits) sets the base development standards for the residential zoning districts; tract-specific exceptions are shown in Appendix E and the table exhibits .

R-A (Agriculture‑Ranch)

• Purpose: very low density/rural preservation; allows clustering options to protect environmental resources (clustering rules referenced in § 16.10.030).
• Typical uses: single‑family dwellings, agricultural/ranching-related uses — permitted uses are cross‑referenced in Appendix A (Regulation of Uses by Zone District) as noted in district chapters. See § 16.10.030 for clustering and project-area rules .
• Key standards (Table 20‑1(B) clustering excerpt): minimum lot/project area and front/side/rear yard rules are set in the table; see § 16.10.030 and Exhibit B for exact numbers .
• Where it applies: mapped out in the Zoning Map and called out in Table 20‑1 exhibits.

R-R (Rural Residential)

• Purpose/uses: similar to R-A but smaller parcels; primarily single‑family rural lots. See § 16.10.030 and Table 20‑1(B) for standards and clustering options .

R-S (Low Density Residential)

• Purpose: suburban single‑family detached neighborhoods. See § 16.10.030 and Exhibit "C" (Table 20‑1(C)) for tract-specific R‑S standards (R‑S‑1 through R‑S‑9) .
• Typical permitted uses: detached single‑family dwellings (Appendix A lists uses by zone).
• Key dimensional standards (examples from Table 20‑1(A)/(C)): maximum height 35 ft, front setback commonly 25 ft (varied by tract), minimum side yard aggregate 20 ft with 7 ft on one side, rear yard 15–25 ft — see § 16.10.030 and Table 20‑1 Exhibits for exact tract values .

RM‑1, RM‑2, RM‑3 (Medium / High / Very High Density Residential)

• Purpose: multifamily and attached housing types (townhomes, apartments, condominiums). Single‑family detached is restricted in some RM zones per the table rules. See Table 20‑1 (Exhibits) incorporated into § 16.10.030 for densities and setbacks .
• Example numbers (Table 20‑1(A)): RM‑1 up to 12 du/ac, RM‑2 up to 25 du/ac, RM‑3 higher densities up to shown limits; building heights typically 35–42 ft depending on zone (see § 16.10.030 Exhibits) .

Housing Priority / Higher‑density housing districts

• These are new(er) districts created to implement the Housing Element and include MDH, MUH, UHDH, and VHDH. See Chapter § 16.15.030–16.15.040 for intent, permitted uses, and development standards; each district has its own table (e.g., MUH Table 4 and MUH commercial Table 5) .
• Examples:
  • MDH (Medium Density Housing): minimum density 9 du/ac, max 12.5 du/ac; standards summarized in Table 1; see § 16.15.040 .
  • MUH (Mixed‑Use Housing): residential density 30–47 du/ac (minimum 20 du/ac), maximum building height up to 80 ft in certain configurations; parking and open‑space standards are spelled out in Table 4 and Table 5 and the chapter § 16.15.040 .
  • UHDH (Urban High Density): minimum 30 du/ac, up to 93 du/ac in mapped sites; see Table 2 and § 16.15.040 for FAR, heights (70–80 ft), open space and parking standards .

(Projects in any Housing Priority Zoning District generally require Site Plan approval; see § 16.15.050 and the Site Plan chapter for procedures) .

Commercial districts

• Established and controlled through § 16.12.040 (Table 25‑1) which sets development standards for C‑N, C‑O, C‑G, C‑R, C‑F, etc. Appendix A lists allowed uses per commercial district .
• Typical examples:
  • C‑N (Neighborhood Commercial): smaller project sizes (e.g., minimum project GLA 10,000 sf in Table 25‑1), typical front setbacks ~25 ft, parking and landscaping minimums shown in Table 25‑1 at § 16.12.040 .
  • C‑F (Freeway Commercial) and C‑G (General Commercial) allow larger commercial uses (auto dealers, hotels, big‑box uses listed in the Code) — see Table 25‑1 and Appendix A for permitted uses and § 16.12.040 for development standards .

Mixed Use — MU

• The MU and MUH districts are intended for horizontal and vertical mixed use; standards for MUH residential/commercial elements are in § 16.15.040 and in the MUH tables (see MUH Table 4 & 5) .

Business Park / Light Industrial — BP, LI

• Purpose: office parks, light manufacturing, and compatible commercial uses. Development standards are in Table 30‑1 and additional rules in § 16.14.040; parking rules are cross‑referenced to Chapter 16.34 and Appendix (Table 65‑1) .
• Key controls: minimum landscaping (20% typically), parking lot landscaping (≥5%), building materials restrictions (metal buildings limited), and single‑room occupancy standards where applicable (Table 30‑2) — see § 16.14.040–.050 .

Institutional / Public Facilities — I‑1, I‑2

• Purpose: I‑1 (Institutional‑Private) and I‑2 (Institutional‑Public) preserve public and institutional uses (churches, schools, civic uses). See § 16.16.010–.040 and Table 35‑1 for development standards and site plan requirements .

Open Space / Parks — OS‑1, OS‑2, PP, State Park

• Purpose: OS‑1 (Private Open Space), OS‑2 (Public Open Space), and PP (Public Park). The Chino Hills State Park is shown on the map for informational purposes but the Code does not apply to lands controlled by the California Department of Parks and Recreation; this status is noted in § 16.18.010 and in the district list § 16.04.010 .

Planned Development — PD

• Purpose: flexible zone allowing site‑specific standards and integrated design; PD creation and amendments are processed under Chapter § 16.20 and related procedural chapters. See § 16.20.010–.020 for intent and procedures .

Overlay districts (fire, geologic, biotic, scenic, small‑lot)

• The Code identifies overlay districts such as (FR1) and (FR2) Fire Safety overlays, (GH) Geologic Hazard, (BR) Biotic Resources, (SR) Scenic Resources, and (SL) Small Lot Overlay in § 16.04.010; these overlays impose additional standards and may modify setbacks, densities, and design rules where applied . See Chapter references for each overlay (e.g., Fire Safety Chapter 16.22) for specific overlay requirements (the small‑lot overlay cross‑references Chapter 16.32) .

Decision‑relevant quick table (selected standards and where to find them)

Practical guidance (short synthesis)

• Before submitting: check the Zoning Map (on file with the City Clerk) to confirm the mapped district for your parcel (adopted per § 16.04.020) and then consult the applicable table/exhibit for numeric standards (residential Table 20‑1 per § 16.10.030; commercial Table 25‑1 per § 16.12.040) .
• If your property lies inside an overlay (for example (FR1) Fire Safety), expect overlay rules to change setbacks, separation, or design — see the overlay chapter referenced from § 16.04.010 and the specific overlay chapter for requirements .
• For minimum parking calculations consult the city's parking chapter/tables (and see the commercial and MUH district entries that cross‑reference parking and Appendix F design standards). For parking specifics see the city's parking guidance; design standards are cross‑referenced to development standards and Appendix F in the Code .

Inline resources (first natural mentions): the page mentions the City's zoning & planning overview, development standards, parking, design review, overlay districts, ADUs, and the California Building Standards Code. Verify building‑code technical items with Title 24 (see Title 24 link) — zoning does not replace the California Building Standards Code.

Checklist

• Confirm zoning designation on the City's adopted Zoning Map (Zoning Map adopted per § 16.04.020) .
• Identify allowed uses and conditional uses in Appendix A for that district and confirm any special‑use standards (e.g., alcohol sales) referenced in district chapters (§ 16.12.060 for alcohol rules) .
• Pull the correct development standards table/exhibit (residential Table 20‑1 under § 16.10.030; commercial Table 25‑1 under § 16.12.040) and verify numeric controls (setbacks, heights, lot coverage) for the mapped district .
• Check overlay applicability (overlays listed in § 16.04.010) and read overlay chapter(s) for added restrictions (fire, geologic, biotic, scenic, small‑lot) .
• Confirm parking requirement (Chapter 16.34 and Table 65‑1 as cross‑referenced in commercial and MUH chapters) and landscaping requirements in the district tables .
• Determine permit pathway: ministerial Zoning Clearance (§ 16.79.010), Site Plan approval/Discretionary (see § 16.15.050 for Housing Priority Zoning), Conditional Use Permit or Zone Change (see § 16.62.040–.050) .
• If proposing a map change, prepare an associated development proposal; private zone change applications require an associated project (see § 16.62.050) .
• For design/detail standards, consult CHMC Appendix F — Objective Design Standards and the City’s design review guidance; for building‑code compliance consult the California Building Standards Code and local building permit staff .

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain‑English summary

Chino Hills’ Title 16 (Development Code) sets named zoning districts (for example R‑S, RM‑1, C‑N, BP, I‑1, etc.), adopts a Zoning Map by reference, and attaches numeric development standards in tables/exhibits (notably Table 20‑1 for residential and Table 25‑1 for commercial). To know what you can build on a specific parcel: confirm the parcel’s mapped zone, read the district’s exhibit/table (for setbacks, height, lot coverage), check overlays, and then follow the permit path (zoning clearance, site plan, conditional permit, or PD process). Key code anchors: § 16.04.010, § 16.04.020, § 16.10.030, and the Housing Priority chapter § 16.15.040 .

Source References

• Districts established; list and overlay names — § 16.04.010
• Zoning Map adoption; boundary rules — § 16.04.020, § 16.04.030
• Residential development standards and Table 20‑1 exhibits — § 16.10.030 (Table 20‑1(A)–(L), Exhibits)
• Housing Priority Zoning Districts (MDH, MUH, UHDH, VHDH) and their standards — § 16.15.030–.040 (Tables 1–4/5)
• Commercial district standards (Table 25‑1) — § 16.12.040
• Business Park / Light Industrial standards (Table 30‑1, Table 30‑2) — § 16.14.040–.050
• Institutional districts (I‑1 / I‑2) and Table 35‑1 — § 16.16.010–.040
• Open Space districts (OS‑1, OS‑2, PP, State Park informational) — § 16.18.010
• Zoning clearance (ministerial) and applicability — § 16.79.010–.040
• Zone change findings and associated‑project requirement — § 16.62.040–.050

Retrieved passages

• Chino Hills Zoning Code (§ 9.35.040) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (Chapter 16.04) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (Chapter 16.22.030.B) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (§ 9.05.010) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (Chapter 16.32) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (Chapter 16.02) Medium relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (chapter does) Medium relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code Medium relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (Chapter 16.22.030.B) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (§ 9) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (Section 16.10.030) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (§ 16.10.030) High relevance show source text
• Chino Hills Zoning Code (§ 3) High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• Districts established; list and overlay names — **§ 16.04.010** (§ 16.04.010)
• Zoning Map adoption; boundary rules — **§ 16.04.020**, **§ 16.04.030** (§ 16.04.020)
• Residential development standards and Table 20‑1 exhibits — **§ 16.10.030** (Table 20‑1(A)–(L), Exhibits) (§ 16.10.030)
• Housing Priority Zoning Districts (MDH, MUH, UHDH, VHDH) and their standards — **§ 16.15.030–.040** (Tables 1–4/5) fileciteturn1file3 (§ 16.15.030)
• Commercial district standards (Table 25‑1) — **§ 16.12.040** (§ 16.12.040)
• Business Park / Light Industrial standards (Table 30‑1, Table 30‑2) — **§ 16.14.040–.050** (§ 16.14.040)
• Institutional districts (I‑1 / I‑2) and Table 35‑1 — **§ 16.16.010–.040** (§ 16.16.010)
• Open Space districts (OS‑1, OS‑2, PP, State Park informational) — **§ 16.18.010** (§ 16.18.010)
• Zoning clearance (ministerial) and applicability — **§ 16.79.010–.040** (§ 16.79.010)
• Zone change findings and associated‑project requirement — **§ 16.62.040–.050** (§ 16.62.040)
• ChinoHills_ZoningCode.md

• Official Chino Hills code library